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. 2025 May;21(12):1445-1455.
doi: 10.1080/14796694.2025.2488226. Epub 2025 May 6.

A plain language summary of the preliminary results for encorafenib plus binimetinib and pembrolizumab in adults with BRAF V600-mutant melanoma in the STARBOARD study

Oleksandr Dudnichenko  1 , Konstantin Penkov  2 , Meredith McKean  3 , Mario Mandalà  4 , Mariia Kukushkina  5 , Timothy Panella  6 , Tibor Csőszi  7 , Paola Gerletti  8 , Mahgull Thakur  9 , Anna Poll  8   9 , Alessandra di Pietro  8 , Dirk Schadendorf  10   11
Affiliations

A plain language summary of the preliminary results for encorafenib plus binimetinib and pembrolizumab in adults with BRAF V600-mutant melanoma in the STARBOARD study

Oleksandr Dudnichenko et al. Future Oncol. 2025 May.
No abstract available

Plain language summary

What is this summary about?This summary describes the initial phase of the STARBOARD study, known as a safety lead-in, which was conducted to compare the safety of two different encorafenib doses plus binimetinib and pembrolizumab in people with BRAF V600-mutant melanoma to determine the recommended dose before proceeding with further testing of this new drug combination.What were the results?Participants took a higher or lower encorafenib dose plus binimetinib and pembrolizumab. The number of side effects that were serious enough to limit the dose of the drug at its planned dose (‘dose-limiting toxicities’) was small in both groups. Overall, side effects were as expected for what is known for each of the drugs. In both groups, some participants’ tumors shrank or became no longer detectable.What do the results of the study mean?The higher encorafenib dose plus binimetinib and pembrolizumab was chosen for further testing in the subsequent main phase 3 portion of the STARBOARD study, which is currently ongoing.[Box: see text].

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests.

Oleksandr Dudnichenko. No disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

Konstantin Penkov. Honoraria: AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Nektar, Pfizer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Roche.

Meredith McKean. Research Funding: Ascentage Pharma Group, Alpine Immune, Arcus Biosciences, Arvinas, Bayer, Bicycle Therapeutics, BioMed Valley Discoveries, BioNTech, Dragonfly Therapeutics, EMD Serono, Epizyme, Erasca, Exelixis, Foghorn Therapeutics, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, IDEAYA Biosciences, Ikena Oncology, ImmViraPharma, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Jacobio Pharmaceuticals, Kechow Pharma, Kinnate Biopharma, MedImmune, Mereo BioPharma, Metabomed, Moderna, NBE Therapeutics, Nektar Therapeutics, Novartis, Oncorus, PACT Pharma, Pfizer, Plexxikon, Prelude Therapeutics, Pyramid Biosciences, Regeneron, Sapience Therapeutics, Scholar Rock, Seagen, Synthrox, Tempest Therapeutics, TeneoBio, Tizona Therapeutics, TMUNITY Therapeutics, TopAlliance Biosciences. Consulting or Advisory Role: Array BioPharma, Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, BicycleTx Limited, Castle Biosciences, IDEAYA Biosciences, iTeos, Therapeutics, MedPage Today, Pfizer, Regeneron.

Mario Mandalà. Honoraria: MSD Oncology, Novartis, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi/Aventis, Bristol Myers Squibb/Sanofi. Consulting or Advisory Role: Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD Oncology, Novartis, Pierre Fabre. Research Funding: Novartis (Inst).

Mariia Kukushkina. No disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

Timothy Panella. No disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

Tibor Csőszi. No disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

Paola Gerletti. Employment: Formerly Pfizer.

Mahgull Thakur. Employment: Formerly Pfizer.

Anna Polli. Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Pfizer. Honoraria: Pfizer.

Alessandra di Pietro. Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Pfizer. Honoraria: Pfizer.

Dirk Schadendorf. Honoraria: Roche/Genentech, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, Immunocore, Merck Serono, Array BioPharma, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Philogen, Regeneron, 4SC, Sanofi/Regeneron, NeraCare GmbH, Sun Pharma, Inflarx GmbH, Ultimovacs, Sandoz, Amgen, Daiichi Sankyo Japan, LabCorp, Nektar, Replimune. Con

Encorafenib plus binimetinib and pembrolizumab in BRAF V600-mutant melanoma Plain Language Summary of Publication

sulting or Advisory Role: Roche/Genentech, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, Merck Serono, 4SC, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi/Regeneron, Nektar. Speakers’ Bureau: Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, Novartis, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi/Regeneron, Merck KGaA. Research Funding: Bristol Myers Squibb (Inst), Novartis (Inst), Roche (Inst), MSD Oncology (Inst), Array BioPharma/Pfizer (Inst), Amgen (Inst). Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Roche/Genentech, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Serono, Novartis, MSD, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi/Regeneron.

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing support was provided by Molly Murnan, BSc, of Nucleus Global, an Inizio Company, and was funded by Pfizer.

Patient reviewers on this PLSP have received honorarium from Future Oncology for their review work but have no other relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

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